Football Skills | Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills
Stationery Speed Ladder Drills and coordination exercises can help athletes to improve footwork and quickness in the feet. The use of a Speed and Agility Ladder will supply the visual stimuli for the athlete as they rapidly move in and out of the Speed and Agility Ladder box. The use of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands will force athletes to move and strengthen the thigh and hip flexor muscles due to the added resistance placed on these muscles.
Performing speed ladder drills along with additional speed and agility training, coordination exercises, conditioning, and sports specific skills will help athletes gain more foot control and speed that translates into a more competitive athlete.
Stationery Speed Ladder Drills
The Rapid Response Speed Ladder Drills consist of four different footwork and coordination exercises. All four exercises in the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills are different variations of the scissor movement.
For the first portion of the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills athletes will lay the Speed and Agility Ladder flat on the ground and securely attach the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above the knees. Athletes will stand to the side of their Speed and Agility Ladder and begin the speed ladder drills by tapping one foot inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will patter or shuffle step the foot in the box as well as the foot outside of the speed ladder drills. After a slight hesitation, athletes will switch their legs, alternating which leg is in the speed ladder box and which one is outside the box. Athletes should think about coming off the slight hesitation and reacting to something that may happen in a competitive situation.
To complete the first portion of the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills athletes will complete 6 sets of 15 seconds. Allow 15-20 seconds of recovery between sets.
The second portion of the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills is the reverse scissor. Athletes will keep the Speed and Agility Ladder and Kbands Leg Resistance Bands in place. Athletes will turn around and perform the reverse scissors by reverse jab stepping into the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will complete 6 sets of 15 seconds allowing 15-20 seconds of recovery between sets.
During both variations of the scissor speed ladder drills athletes need to use good body positioning and movements to maximize the effectiveness of the Speed Ladder Drills Training. Athletes need to keep a slight bend in their chest and use a good arm swing to maximize the amount of inertia that can be used during the coordination exercises. The deliberate reacting and jabbing of the foot will help athletes develop timing and muscle control in those muscles. Athletes also need to make sure they are pushing through the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, keeping their movements natural and fluid, not allowing the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands to alter their movements.
Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills
The third and fourth coordination exercises that will be performed in the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills will be executed in the same manner as the first two speed ladder drills. The same movement will be performed with forward and reverse variations.
To perform the drill athletes will line up at the side of a Speed and Agility Ladder between two squares. Athletes will use the same jab and patter sequence as before but will be utilizing two boxes. Athletes will step across their body, tap and patter both feet, before withdrawing the foot from the Speed and Agility Ladder and performing the same motion with the opposite leg. Athletes will perform the crossover scissors for 6 sets of 15 seconds allowing 15-20 seconds of recovery between sets.
The final exercise in the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills athletes will perform the same crossover scissors movement facing away from the Speed and Agility Ladder. This is a very advanced movement so athletes may want to slowly perform the movement a few times to gain a better understanding of the timing and rhythm of the speed ladder exercise. Athletes will perform the crossover jab step movement for 6 sets of 15 seconds, allowing 15-20 seconds, to finish the Rapid Response Stationery Speed Ladder Drills.
For both variations of the crossover scissors exercise athletes need to keep a good bend at the hips and the knees. Over or under bending at the hips will cause slow responses and decreased reaction times. Over bending or straightening at the knees will have the same effect and greatly decrease the athletes’ reaction time. For more tips of what a good athletic stance looks like go to the Training Section.
Developing Football Skills
Speed ladder drills, conditioning, and coordination exercises will help athletes develop their football skills. The need for great coordination, speed, and endurance to work together means that athletes need to be implementing each form of training into their workouts. An athlete who has developed and advanced multiple football skills will have much greater success during their playing career.
An athlete who has great footwork and speed but lacks conditioning and endurance will always find themselves struggling and possibly becoming injured at the end of games. This is another advantage Kbands Leg Resistance Bands bring to athletic training and advancing football skills. During normal unresisted speed ladder drills athletes will be working their footwork and coordination. Using Kbands Leg Resistance Bands keeps the original skills training but incorporates resistance into the speed ladder drills. This means athletes will be using more muscles in their legs, thighs, and hip flexors. Activating more muscle fibers in these areas allows the athlete to build a more powerful stride while increasing their heart beat to strengthen their cardiovascular endurance.
All athletes have limited time to train so training optimally is essential to having success during competition. Use sports training equipment like the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, Speed and Agility Ladder, and Victory Ropes to add dynamic resistance to all athletic training drills.